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FlowFile.read()

Reads the contents of a file in the flow directory.

Function Signature​

FlowFile.read(path: string): string

Parameters​

  • path (string): Relative path to the file from the flow directory

Return Value​

  • string: The file contents, or raises an error if the file cannot be read

Description​

FlowFile.read() reads a file from the flow directory. The path is relative to the flow directory and is sandboxed for security.

Example​

-- Read a text file
local content = FlowFile.read("data.txt")
Logger.info("File content: " .. content)

-- Read a JSON configuration file
local configJson = FlowFile.read("config.json")
local config = parseJsonString(configJson)
SessionState.set("apiKey", config.apiKey)

-- Read with error handling
local success, content = pcall(function()
    return FlowFile.read("important.txt")
end)
if success then
    outputs.data = content
else
    Logger.error("Failed to read file: " .. content)
end

Node Structure Example​

When used in a node script, this function corresponds to the LoadTextFile node:

[LoadTextFile Node]
Inputs:
  - Path: "data.txt"
Outputs:
  - Content: "file contents here"
Execution:
  - In → Out

Notes​

  • Paths are relative to the flow directory
  • Absolute paths are rejected (unless sandboxing is disabled)
  • Raises an error if the file doesn't exist or cannot be read
  • Use FlowFile.exists() to check before reading